The Pocket Gem Pronouncing Dictionary by Lila M. Tenney | 1888 Antique Compact Dictionary

A charming late nineteenth-century pocket dictionary, The Pocket Gem Pronouncing Dictionary by Lila M. Tenney, published by The Burrows Brothers Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Copyrighted in 1888, this diminutive volume was designed as a practical reference for correct spelling, pronunciation, and the proper use of the English language.

Described as an authoritative handbook of eleven thousand commonly used words, this compact dictionary provides phonetic pronunciations rather than traditional word definitions. Its contents include rules of orthography, pronunciation guides, abbreviations, foreign words and phrases, names of people and places, tables of weights and measures, punctuation marks and their origins, and a list of frequently mispronounced words. An additional section includes an exercise in pronunciation titled A Memoir of Adonis and Penelope.

Bound in dark navy blue cloth, the front board is attractive featuring stylized lettering in warm red and gold tones, enclosed within a decorative geometric border. Below the title is a multicolored illustration of an ornate classical oil lamp, embellished with a winged mythical creature and delicate ornamental detailing.

Condition: Good antique condition, with minor light rubbing and wear to spine edges/corners. The binding remains tight. Interior pages are clean, with light age-related toning.

Size: 3 1/2” x 5”.

A wonderful example of Victorian pocket reference literature, particularly appealing to collectors of miniature and compact books, antique dictionaries, and decorative nineteenth-century bindings.